Data gathering

• US 20030204495A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lehnert, Bernd R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method for gathering data may include receiving query information in a first format related to a query, identifying a format-independent portion of the query information and a format-dependent portion of the query information, and translating the format-dependent portion of the query data for rendition in a second format. A computer program product may include instructions to cause a processor to identify a first platform that a responder intends to use to respond to a first query in a data gathering tool, format the first query for rendition at the first platform, identify a second platform that the responder intends to use to respond to a second query in the data gathering tool, and format the second query for rendition at the second platform. The computer program product may be tangibly stored on machine readable media.

Claims

1. A method for gathering data comprising:

receiving query information related to a query, the query information being in a first format;

identifying a format-independent portion of the query information and a format-dependent portion of the query information; and

translating the format-dependent portion of the query data for rendition in a second format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the format-independent portion and the format-dependent portion comprises splitting the query information into the format-independent portion and the format-dependent portion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein splitting the query information into the format-independent portion and the format-dependent portion comprises storing the format-independent portion separately from the format-dependent portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the format-independent portion comprises identifying a response to the query.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the response is a default response.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the format-dependent portion of the query data for rendition in the second format comprises translating a text portion of the query data into a second language for rendition in the second language.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the format-dependent portion of the query data for rendition in the second format comprises transforming the format of the query for rendition on a second platform.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein transforming the format of the query for rendition on the second platform comprises transforming the format of the query for a voice rendition.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein transforming the format of the query for rendition on the second platform comprises transforming the format of the query for a visual rendition on a computer display.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein transforming the format of the query for rendition on the second platform comprises transforming the format of the query for printing on paper.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the format-independent portion and the translated format-dependent portion to a server for rendition of the query.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second query information related to a second query; and

forming a data gathering tool from the second query and the first query.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the data gathering tool comprises forming a survey to gauge an opinion of a customer.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a second format-independent portion of the second query information and a second format-dependent portion of the second query information; and

translating the second format-dependent portion of the query data for rendition in a third format.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting the format-independent portion and the translated format-dependent portion to a first platform; and

transmitting the second format-independent portion and the translated second format-dependent portion to a second platform.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the format-independent portion of the query information and the format-dependent portion of the query information separately.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein storing the format-independent portion of the query information comprises storing responses to the query in the format-independent portion.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first format comprises an XML format.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the format-independent portion of the query information separately from the format-dependent portion of the query information.

21. The product of claim 18, wherein the product further comprises instructions to:

identify a format-independent portion of the first query and a format-dependent portion of the first query; and

translate the format-dependent portion of the first query for rendition at the first platform.

22. The product of claim 18, wherein the product further comprises instructions to receive first query information related the first query and second query information related the second query.

23. The product of claim 18, wherein the first query information independently defines the first query.

24. The product of claim 23, wherein the first query information independently defines the text of the first query.

25. The product of claim 23, wherein the first query information independently defines the layout of the first query.

26. The product of claim 23, wherein the first query information independently defines the operation of the first query.

27. The product of claim 18, wherein the product further comprises instructions to:

identify a text portion of the first query; and

translate the text portion into another language.

28. The product of claim 18, wherein the product further comprises instructions to select display characteristics of the first query to format the first query for rendition.

29. The product of claim 18, wherein the first query requests one response.

30. The product of claim 18, wherein the first query requests a text response.

31. The product of claim 18, wherein the first query specifies rendition in a radio button.

32. The product of claim 18, wherein the first query and the second query are part of a survey to gauge an opinion of a customer.

33. The product of claim 18, wherein the second platform comprises a paper platform.

20. A computer program product, tangibly stored on machine readable media, for representing a data structure, the product comprising instructions to cause a processor to:

identify a first platform that a responder intends to use to respond to a first query in a data gathering tool;

format the first query for rendition at the first platform;

identify a second platform that the responder intends to use to respond to a second query in the data gathering tool; and

format the second query for rendition at the second platform.